Postal orders of Ireland

Postal orders were issued in Ireland from 1881 until they were discontinued in late 2001 just before the change over to the Euro.

The current alternative is the An Post Postal Money Order which serves an equivalent purpose.

The issue of the first native Irish Free State postal orders began in September 1927.

The design of these included a harp surrounded by the inscription 'SAORSTÁT ÉIREANN' inside a box giving the poundage in both Irish and English.

A batch of 2/6 postal orders was printed in 1965–69 with the old Órdú Puist Éireannach and 'NEAMH-IONAISTRITHE' inscriptions, which had ceased to be issued in the early 1950s.

However, when Ireland joined the European Monetary System from 13 March 1979[2] it was no longer possible to cash Irish postal orders in the United Kingdom and visa-versa as had been the case, because the currencies were no longer at parity and the British post office did not do currency work.

These were the same design as the previous series, but the white margin disappeared, and the denominations were expressed as £ instead of IR£, which led to a storm of protest from the Royal Mail, because it imitated the British Pound sign.

The final series of postal orders began on 27 and 28 August 1997 with the same Celtic design format with a building at the bottom.

The denominations are expressed with the value in bold black numerals and words on both the building and at left adjacent to the counterfoil below the post office and county names.

In April and May 2001, it was reported that the issue of Irish postal orders was to end just before the change over to the Euro.

On 31 October 2001, An Post began to withdraw postal orders from all the sub-post offices.